For example, Donald Trump used Twitter to post a dog whistle meme loaded with potentially violent rhetoric this past January.
The President consistently uses dog whistle memes as a method of energizing his base supporters. This is done through a method of codification where usually someone of authority uses the meme and it becomes seen widely. However, in order to have lasting meaning, memes need to be recognizable as a replacement for text, actions, or emotions. In addition, dog whistle memes have the unique ability to be multipurpose, designed to upset but also be played off as a “meaningless” joke. Depending on the dog whistle meme, the audience could be a small group or call out to an entire political base. The term dog whistle comes from the way it could only be “heard” by the specific audience. This is the act of dog whistle meme politics.ĭog whistle memes are a type of advanced memes that require additional knowledge to interpret. The Trump War Room Twitter account argued that the design was a “widely used” image of antifa activists, though in reality, could only be sourced to an on-demand internet t-shirt shop. The next day, the post was removed, but what occurred in the twenty-four hours between the ad being posted and Facebook’s decision to remove the ad is an experiment in dog whistle meme politics designed to cause outrage.
On June 17, Donald Trump’s reelection campaign posted a series of ads that displayed an image of an upside-down triangle gratuitously added to a highly partisan post.
For the most part, political memes are easy to read, but for some, layers of nuance and intent have to be examined as the reference sometimes contains additional disguised rhetoric. Political memes, like political cartoons, require the audience to have some knowledge of the information in order to unpack the layers embedded in the image messaging. Over the last several years, memes have become widely used political tools. background (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images
‘It’s a question we often ask ourselves – how would I respond to the occupation of my country? Would I fight for freedom or duck down and keep out of trouble? I think the world needs to be reminded of Willem and Frieda, ordinary people who found extraordinary inner resources.Twitter logo is displayed on a mobile phone with an article about President Trump shown in the. ‘Living their lives as openly gay in the 1930s was remarkable enough,’ Fry explained, ‘But once the Nazi’s invaded their homeland of the Netherlands, they found in themselves a depth of courage and determination that is, across the years, still inspiring. But after learning about them he regards them as ‘being authentic and remarkable heroes’.
Willem and Frieda: A Story of Resistance (w/t) will use previously unseen archive material and intimate interviews with those whose lives were inspired by the pair’s bravery and will reveal not only a story from history but also, through Fry’s own experience, today’s struggles for gay rights and the power of individuals to affect change.įry explained prior to the research conducted by Rik Carmichael and John Hay, the duo behind the doc, he wasn’t aware of the story of Willem and Frieda.